IL Life Producer General (GEN-Life01) + IL Life Producer State (STATE-Life01) - two separate exams, both required

The Illinois life insurance exam.

The Illinois life insurance exam is 81 scored questions, about 10 unscored pretest questions, in 125 minutes, passing at a scaled 70, $92 per attempt, administered by Pearson VUE. We sell study materials and practice exams for it, written from the official Illinois outline. The first questions are free, and the full License Pass is $149, yours until you pass. Below are the licensing steps, exactly what the exam covers, and free practice questions written to this state's outline.

At a glance

ExamIL Life Producer General (GEN-Life01) + IL Life Producer State (STATE-Life01) - two separate exams, both required
Scored questions81
Pretest questionsabout 10 (unscored)
Time limit125 minutes
Passing score70 (scaled score; set by Illinois DOI). Reported as pass/fail with 70 as the passing score.
Exam fee$92
Testing vendorPearson VUE
Retake rulesMust wait 24 hours before making a reexamination reservation. General and State exams must both be passed within 90 days of each other. Retake candidates need not re-present the pre-license course certificate.
Prelicensing educationrequired, from a state-approved provider

Verified against official Pearson VUE materials, Illinois Insurance Candidate Handbook #121400, August 2026 edition; content outlines effective January 1, 2026. Specs change; confirm when you register.

How to get your Illinois life insurance license

  1. 1

    Meet the basics

    Be 18 or older and able to pass the background screening. Illinois handles licensing through the NIPR system like most states.

  2. 2

    Complete the required prelicensing education

    Illinois requires prelicensing education from a state-approved provider before you can test. Complete it with that provider, keep your completion record, then drill practice questions until the material sticks.

  3. 3

    Book the exam with Pearson VUE

    Register at Pearson VUE, pick a test center or online proctoring where offered, and pay the $92 exam fee.

  4. 4

    Pass the exam

    Walk in knowing the format, 81 scored questions in 125 minutes, passing at a scaled 70. About 62% of first-time life exam takers pass nationally (NAIC, latest published data).

  5. 5

    Apply for the license and get appointed

    Submit the license application (fingerprints where required), then get appointed with carriers so you can write business.

What the Illinois exam covers

From the official exam outline, each section's share of the exam and how many of the 81 scored questions it earns.

SectionWeightQuestions
Life - General Knowledge - 50 scored plus 5 pretest questions, 75 minutes62%50 questions
Life - Illinois Specific - 31 scored plus 5 pretest questions, 50 minutes38%31 questions

Free Illinois practice questions

Original questions written to the Illinois outline, the same bank our students drill. Tap a question to check the answer.

Question 1

Maria stops paying premiums on her whole life policy, and the insurer uses the cash value to buy a smaller amount of fully paid-up whole life coverage. Which nonforfeiture option did she use?

  1. A. Extended term insurance
  2. B. Reduced paid-up insurance
  3. C. Cash surrender
  4. D. Automatic premium loan
Show the answer

Answer: B

Reduced paid-up insurance uses the cash value as a single premium to buy a smaller permanent policy. Extended term keeps the full face amount for a limited time as term coverage. Cash surrender pays out the value in cash. An automatic premium loan pays the premium from cash value to keep the original policy going.

215 ILCS 5/229.2 (standard nonforfeiture law)

Question 2

Maria completes an application and signs a form stating her answers are true to the best of her knowledge. This truthfulness standard describes what type of statement?

  1. A. A representation
  2. B. A warranty
  3. C. A concealment
  4. D. A waiver
Show the answer

Answer: A

Statements believed to be true to the best of the applicant's knowledge are representations, and only material misrepresentations can void a policy. A warranty is guaranteed to be absolutely true and is generally not required of life insurance applicants. Concealment is deliberately hiding a known material fact, which is the opposite of a good-faith answer. A waiver is giving up a known right, not a statement of fact.

Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policies - representations and warranties

Question 3

An arrangement in which an employer and employee share the premium payments and benefits of a permanent life insurance policy is called what?

  1. A. Split-dollar plan
  2. B. Section 1035 exchange
  3. C. Modified endowment contract
  4. D. Qualified pension plan
Show the answer

Answer: A

A split-dollar plan is an agreement where the employer and employee split the costs and benefits of a permanent life policy. A Section 1035 exchange is a tax-free swap of one policy for another. A modified endowment contract is a policy that was overfunded and loses favorable tax treatment on loans. A qualified pension plan is a retirement plan, not a shared-premium life arrangement.

Retirement and Other Insurance Concepts - business uses of insurance (concept)

Question 4

An Illinois producer knowingly diverts a client's premium payment for personal use; what unlawful conduct does this best describe?

  1. A. Rebating
  2. B. Twisting
  3. C. Commingling and conversion of fiduciary funds
  4. D. Defamation
Show the answer

Answer: C

Premiums a producer holds for an insurer are fiduciary funds; using them personally is conversion, and mixing them with personal money is commingling. Rebating is giving part of a commission or something of value to induce a sale. Twisting is using misrepresentation to convince someone to replace a policy. Defamation is making false statements that harm an insurer's reputation. Only conversion of fiduciary funds fits the facts.

215 ILCS 5/500-80 and 5/424 (fiduciary duties and unfair trade practices)

Question 5

When an Illinois insurer terminates a producer's appointment, what must it generally do regarding notification?

  1. A. Notify the Department of Insurance of the termination
  2. B. Do nothing, since appointments end automatically
  3. C. Notify only the producer and not the state
  4. D. Wait until the producer's license expires
Show the answer

Answer: A

An insurer that ends an appointment must notify the Department so state records reflect that the producer no longer represents that company. Doing nothing is wrong because termination must be reported. Notifying only the producer is insufficient; the state must be informed. Waiting for license expiration is wrong because the termination itself triggers the reporting duty.

215 ILCS 5/500-90 (notification of termination); concept tested because exact day count is not stated with certainty

Take the free Illinois practice test, every question with the answer and the explanation

Illinois exam FAQs

How many questions are on the Illinois life insurance exam?

81 scored questions, plus about 10 unscored pretest questions mixed in, with 125 minutes on the clock.

What score passes the Illinois exam?

You need a scaled 70 to pass.

How much does the Illinois life insurance exam cost?

The exam fee is $92 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE. Licensing application and fingerprint fees are separate.

What happens if I fail the Illinois exam?

Must wait 24 hours before making a reexamination reservation. General and State exams must both be passed within 90 days of each other. Retake candidates need not re-present the pre-license course certificate. About 62% of first-time life exam takers pass nationally (NAIC, latest published data). Failing once is common, and the fix is drilling the sections your score report names.

Does Illinois require prelicensing education before the exam?

Yes. Illinois requires prelicensing education from a provider your state insurance department lists before you can sit for the exam. We sell study materials and practice exams, not prelicensing education, so plan for both, the required education first, then practice here until the exam feels familiar.

What RingReady is, and is not

RingReady sells study materials and practice exams for the life insurance licensing exam. We are not a state-approved prelicensing education provider, and practicing here does not by itself satisfy any state's education requirement.

If your state requires prelicensing education, you must complete it with an approved provider; your state insurance department publishes the approved list. What we do is make sure that when you sit down for the real exam, the questions feel familiar.

Practice the Illinois exam until it feels familiar.

Practice questions written to every section of the outline above, full timed practice exams matched to the real format (81 questions, 125 minutes), and a mastery map that shows what to study next.

Start free

A free placement plus free practice questions. No card to start.

Take the free Illinois practice test · How to pass the exam